Godolphin homebreds | Horse Racing Free Tips

Both Regal Glory and Modern Games (Ire) won Grade I races to close out 2022, as the former heads to the breeding shed, while the latter looks to return this year.

REGAL GLORY
In discussing the rationale for keeping 'TDN Rising Star' Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom) in training for a 6-year-old campaign following her victory in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S., trainer Chad Brown recalled a conversation with owner Peter Brant.

Said Brown, “I probably would have bred her and he said, 'No, she's in good form and I want to see her run another year. I have a feeling this is her year.”

It turned out to be the most prescient of comments when the chestnut mare outpointed her commonly owned stablemate and fellow 'Rising Star' In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and War Like Goddess (English Channel) to take home the statuette. Regal Glory is a seventh female turf champ–the fifth in the last six years–conditioned by Chad Brown and a third for Brant, joining Just A Game (1980) and Sistercharlie (Ire) (2018).

Acquired by Brant for joint-best $925,000 out of the Paul Pompa dispersal at Keeneland January in 2021, Regal Glory closed the season with a win in the GI Matriarch S., but the best was yet to come. Having kicked off the year with a decisive victory in the GIII Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, the chestnut made best work of her superior turn of foot to beat stablemate Shantisara (Ire) (Coulsty {Ire}) in the Jenny Wiley. Making her third straight appearance in the GI Just A Game S., Regal Glory powered home as much the best but was beaten into second when heavily favored in her next two–in the GI Fourstardave H. against the boys and to In Italian in the GI First Lady S. Fractionally disappointing when 10th to champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile, she turned in arguably the best performance of any turf distaffer when whooshing home by better than five lengths in the Matriarch, becoming the first since Flawlessly to repeat in the event.

Regal Glory has joined Brant's high-class broodmare band and is set to visit Into Mischief this season.

–Alan Carasso

MODERN GAMES (IRE)
One of the marks of an Eclipse Award winner is the ability to successfully take on older, more experienced company, and that is certainly what Modern Games did during his 3-year-old trans-Atlantic 2022 campaign when he was guided every step of the way by regular rider William Buick. Off his Del Mar Breeders' Cup victory in the GI Juvenile Turf, in which he ran only for purse money for trainer Charlie Appleby, the chestnut tuned up in mid-May at ParisLongchamp against his own age group in the G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

In late July, after finishing second to the now-retired powerhouse Baaeed (GB) (See The Stars {Ire}) in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood, the colt shipped to the U.S. for the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile in September. Taking on a well-matched field, Modern Games rallied for an impressive 5 1/4-length victory. Returning to the Breeders' Cup for the GI FanDuel Mile, this time at Keeneland, the Godolphin homebred angled out at the top of the lane and mounted a furious charge to secure a 3/4-length win in what was his final race of the year.

Modern Games is expected to return to racing as a 4-year-old.

“Next year, the Queen Anne [at Royal Ascot] is the obvious target,” said Appleby after the Breeders' Cup win. “He's getting fanfare around the world and it was great to see him applauded this year, not like last year, which was no fault of his own. We'll look to bring him back here [Breeders' Cup] next year.”

–J.N Campbell

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Godolphin has been riding a high since annexing last weekend's GI Dubai World Cup with homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and the operation looks to assert its dominance in the sophomore division Saturday with a pair of TDN Rising Stars, defending juvenile champion Essential Quality (Tapit), slated to run in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and Aqueduct's GII Wood Memorial contender Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro).

Essential Quality earned his Rising Star status courtesy of a four-length victory sprinting six panels at Churchill Downs last September before handling his step up to graded company with aplomb, taking the 8 1/2-furlong GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity in October and tied up a championship with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Nov. 6.

“I think one of his better races might have been his maiden race,” said Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell. “We needed a race just to get him started. [In his debut], he showed athleticism and speed going short and won by daylight. He then jumped right into the deep end and won the Futurity and Breeders' Cup. Not many can do that and that's really what sets him apart. He's quite versatile and athletic and with a very good mind. When you put all those things together, it can occasionally get you these kinds of results.”

Drawing post 4, the Feb. 27 GIII Southwest S. winner will be partnered by Luis Saez, aboard for his last three starts in addition to last weekend's World Cup winner Mystic Guide. Bell indicated that trainer Brad Cox outlined a 3-year-old pre-Derby campaign soon after the Breeders' Cup, and the Derby pre-amble would consist of only a pair of preps, including the Blue Grass, which was targeted largely because of its timing and the colt's obvious affinity for Keeneland.

Standing in stark contrast to Essential Quality, who has already cemented his spot in the May 1 GI Kentucky Derby, stablemate Prevalence will have to earn his stripes in top company to earn a ticket to Louisville. Earning Rising Star billing following a flashy 8 1/2-length win going seven panels at Gulfstream Jan. 23, the homebred followed-up with another victory while adding a furlong against optional claiming company at the Hallandale oval Mar. 11.

“A lot of time you get that 'wow' first performance and they go back over for the second race and it's not always the same result,” said Bell. “They are a little more tuned in to what it's all about. In fairness, it was his lifetime second start. That was one of the blessings we had coming back in an allowance race. He had good experiences in both races and he learned something in both races. That's what gives us a little more confidence about stepping into graded stakes and stepping up in distance. Both his races were learning experiences and progressive steps that served us well.”

Since his latest win, the Brendan Walsh trainee returned to work a bullet four furlongs, the fastest of 30 moves at the distance, at Palm Meadows Mar. 28.

“He came out of his last work with a bullet. He went in :47.60 and galloped out as easy as you can–it said it all right there,” explained Bell. “From Brendan's perspective, he's an easy horse to read, you know where he's at and what he's feeling. The timing of the Wood Memorial was good timing for him to make that next progressive step.”

Asked whether it might be too tall of an order for such an inexperienced horse, Bell added, “The hope is for the horse to tell us what we are going to do next and we felt this is the opportunity to do that. He's going to need to be able to travel and he's going to be facing stiffer competition. Certainly, he's been brilliant at the short distance races, but what does he look like going a mile and an eighth? When the race is over, he will have answered all of those questions which will point us in one direction or another. And that's really what we want to do. We want to let him show us what he is or isn't capable of at this stage. It's a progression.”

And what would it mean for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the entire Godolphin team to finally get the chance to hoist the blanket of roses on Derby day?

“It's hard to imagine because it's such an illusive place to get to,” said Bell. “It is one of the most prestigious races, or the most prestigious race, in the world in many people's minds. And it is what everyone who has a talented 3-year-old colt at this time of the year points toward. [Sheikh Mohammed] is so philosophical about these types of races and opportunities that, in time, patience will prevail and if it's meant to be, it will happen. The great news is that there has never been an ounce of pressure. It is just that everyone would like to see it happen. From His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, he is above all an astute horseman and understands probably better than we do. He is just excited to have opportunities and even more excited that a couple of these are hombreds as well. He makes it very easy because he is very understanding and has a great outlook on things.”

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